Building a foundation: Q&A with Lillian Fishman

Lillian Fishman, co-founder of what is now the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, is celebrating her 98th birthday Sunday. She was interviewed by Patty Fuller, formerly with the Institute, about her life and the changes she’s seen in San Diego since she and her late husband, Dr. William Fishman, established the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation more than 35 years ago. Here are condensed and edited excerpts of the interview.

Q: What made you select La Jolla as the site of the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation in 1976, now known as the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute?

A: My husband chaired an International Scientific Symposium in 1975 in La Jolla. He was so impressed with the environment and the burgeoning scientific community on the Torrey Pines Mesa, that he suggested we take a vacation out West. Little did I know that we were about to embark on a new career in our mid-sixties. It was 1976 and at age 65, Bill was facing mandatory retirement as founder and director of the Cancer Research Center at Tufts University. The head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) came to our home in Boston and convinced Bill to continue his research. That was all it took.

Armed with our dreams, a few frozen specimens and one $180,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), we headed to San Diego. At the time, The Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Institute of Oceanography and UCSD were here. It wasn’t like Boston, with 300-plus colleges feeding into the workforce, but there was enough good science going on in the area that we knew it would work. We made arrangements with Scripps Institute to lease laboratory space. Thanks to UCSD’s influence, we were able to buy a home in La Jolla. At the time, they weren’t selling homes to Jewish people. But, so many of the scientists being recruited by UCSD were Jewish, so the university became instrumental in changing the policy. Our “big idea” was to create an independent medical research Institute dedicated to the emerging field of Oncodevelopmental Biology. We wanted to hire bright young scientists and give them the freedom to do their research, unencumbered by administrative bureaucracy and departmental politics.

Q: What changes have you seen in San Diego since you arrived here in 1976?

A: San Diego is a model of a city that has rebuilt itself. It was considered a Navy town and a tourist destination. But new industries were moving in during the 80s. High tech, pharmaceutical companies and scientific communities were springing up everywhere. There was a need to collaborate and have an interchange of people from all different disciplines. We didn’t have the money to recruit established scientists when we first started out. As timing would have it, Bill got a call from a renowned scientist, Dr. Taikai Tamaoki from the University of Alberta. He was on sabbatical and asked Bill if he could spend a year in his lab at Tufts. When he informed Dr. Tamaoki that he had just started an independent research institute in La Jolla, he said, “When can I join you?” The doctor brought along two other researchers from Japan to join him in the lab. These scientists were so resourceful. We had no budget for new equipment, so they rolled up their sleeves and started constructing innovative laboratory equipment out of spare parts. Everyone was so friendly here. Even Jonas Salk came over and offered us an electron microscope. Right after we started the Institute, we got a visit from [Senator] Joe Biden. He was promoting Nixon’s National Cancer Act. The government was seeking to establish regional Cancer Centers across the country. ... Biden encouraged us to apply to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). By 1982, we became one of seven NCI-designated Basic Cancer Research centers in the country.

Q: At age 98, what would you say is your secret to longevity?

A: Good genes for one. My father lived to 93 years of age. I guess it’s really about an attitude. I’ve always been optimistic and I believe there is no end to what you can learn. It’s important to be open to new ideas and thoughts, especially in the world of science. I want others to succeed, especially young people. They are our future.

Q: How did you get involved in science and what was your role in helping Bill build the Institute?

A: I wanted to become an M.D. and was strong in chemistry, but in those days, girls didn’t go to college, let alone major in science or engineering. I had to start out with a B.S. degree in nutrition. Later, I got a master’s degree in science education from Boston University. I met Bill Fishman at the University of Alberta. When we became engaged, he got permission for me to work with him in the lab. He put me in charge of extracting the enzymes out of rabbit urine to create substrates. His friends asked him, “How could you do that to your fiancé?” I loved working in the laboratory. When we started the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation in our retirement years, we lived it, we ate it, and we slept it. It was a part of us. We were determined to find solutions that would help cure human diseases. I believe the Institute is still true to its core mission. We are trying to uncover new knowledge about being human beings and the mystery of life itself.